Ball projector



F. BLANDQ'.

BALL PROJIECTOBK.

APPLICATION FILED oc. 1|. 19m.

l Al 9,539 Patente June 13, i922.

FRANK BLNDO, OF NEVI YORK,

BALL PRGJECTOR.

Application led October ll, 1921.

To all' iff/lam if "nw/y conoc/in:

Le it known that l freakin Bienne, a citizen ot the l Q tee, residing atNew iter i. York7 in the county and tltaie of ew Yorky have inventedcertain. new and useful lmproyements in Ball Projectors, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact specilication.

This irwention relates to toy ball projectors, shooters or throwers andhas for its object to proyide a device of this lrind which is simple inconstruction and easy to operate. El special object oit the invention isto provide means 'for retaining the ball in proper engagement with itsprojecting or proj'ielling slide while the latter isbeing drawn baci;along `the hase plate oi'. the derice for tensioning the operating'spring. 'lhe invention also contemplates the provision olfball-retaining means which automatically trees the ball when the slideis released so that said retaining means will not retard the incrementof the ball as it is projected by said slide. Other objects will appear'die description proceeds.

The invention will he lirst hereinafter described in connection with theaccompanying drawings which constitute part ot this specilication` andthen more specifically ile'i'ined in the claims at the end ot the dIription.

ln the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters usedto designate corresponding oartel throughout the several views Figure lis a plan View of ay ball projector constructed substantially inaccordam-,e with this intention.` the slide being shown in its for vardposition.

Figure 2 is a side View oit the device showing` the slide drawn back andthe ball-retaining` device in position for holding the ball in solidlines. the ball-releasing position ol said device being indicated indotted linee., and

Figure 3 is an under plan View of the ball projector with the parts inthe position shown in `Figure l.

rllhe device illustrated consists o't a base plate l having alongitudinal slot 2 extending centrally thereoil and a depending handle3 near its front end. A. ball-projecting slide t is guided in said slot2 by a block 5 fitting loosely therein and retained in position by across pin l0 or any other suitable means arranged below the base plate.Said block :is connected at 6 to the rear end of a coiled Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented June t5, serial no. 507,098.

spring 'T having its ironc end Secured at n tothe upper end portion ofthe handle 3. said spring extending along the under tace of the baseplate l. lV hen contracted said spring is arranged in a housing 9suitably secured below the base plate adjacent the handle 3.

The slide et carries a curved or channeled plate ll at its Jrorward endforming a ballholding pocket in which the ball l2 is arranged when it isvto he proj ected as shown in Figure 2, in order to retain the ball inproper engagement with. said channeled plate or pocket as the slide isbeingwithdrawn and even when the base plate is held in a forwardly anddown fardly inclined poeition illustrated in Figure 2, a ballretainingloop ldis provided. Said loop hinged at lo to a bracket 13 on the slideeland has a downwardly extending arm i6 having its lower end hinged at1.7 to the forxn ward end oit a trigger i8 which is guided at 20 on theupper tace of the slide el. Said trigger ld has a linger loop 19 at itsrear end by means ot which the hall-retaining loop lll; ma),T be loweredinto engagement with th ball l2 simultaneously with the rearwardmovement ot the slide et. It will be noted 'from the showing in Figure 2that the initial rearward movement ot the trigger 1S will move the loop14 down into engagement with the hall 'l2 until said loop rests upon theupper edge ot the channeled plate ll7 after which further rearwardpresaure on the trigger will move the slide 4 along the slot Q in thebase plate l until the spring "i7 has been properly tensioned to projectthe ball.

When the trigger is released7 the slide is moved quickly forward by 'the'spring i] and the loop 'le is automatically raised to release the balll2 by a spring 22 connected at one end to the upper edge of thechanneled plate 1l and at the other end to the arm 16. It will thus beseen that the ball-retaining device will not interfere at all with theproper projection of the ball, the spring 22 acting` immediately uponthe release of the trigger so as to free said ball while the slide ismoving along the slot 2 under the influence of the spring 7.

If desired. the slide may be drawn back by means of the pin 23, in whichcase the ball-retaining means will not be brought into play, the sameremaining in the dotted line position shown. in Figure 2. This mode ofope ating the device may be employed when the base plate inclinedliorwardly and upwardly to a sullicient degree to retain the ball inplace in the pocket ot the channeled plate ll by gravity.

ln operating the dev'ee the handle 8 is gripped by one hand ot theoperator and the loop lf) or pin engaged. by a linger oilz the otherhand, whereupon the slide l may be moved rearwardly lior tensioning thespring 7. 'lhe base plate lv may be held in a horizontal position orniclined with its trent end either np or down according to the directionin which the ball. is to be projected.

l claim:

l. ln a ball jn'ojector, the comllination with a base plate, olf a slidemounted thereon, resilient means ttor moving` said slide along the baseplate in one direction, means for retaining a ball in engagement withthe slide while the latter is moved in the other direction and saidresilient means is being tensioned and means tor automatically lreeingsaid ball Yfrom said retaining means when the slide is released.

2. ln a ball projector', the combination with a base plate, of a slidemounted tliereon, resilient means ilior moving said slide forwardlyalong the base plate, a balleretaining member mounted on said elite tohold. the ball in engagement therewith when the slide is movedrearwardly, a trigger mounted on the slide l'or moving said retainingmeans into engagement with the ball as the slide is moved rearwardly,and means 'for automatically removing said retaining means tromengagement with the ball when said slide is released.

ln a ball projector, the combination wit-h a base plate, ot a slidemounted thereon, resilient means Y[for moving said slide forwardly alongthe base plate, a ballfretaining member hinged on said slide, a triggerlor swinging said ball-retaining` member into engagement with the top eta ball for retaining it in engagement with the slide while the latter ismoved rearwardly, and means for automatically swinging saidball-retaining member away 'from the ball for freeing` the same whensaid slide released.

Il. In a ball projector, the combination with a base plate, of a slidemounted thereon, resilient means tor moving said slide forwardly alongthe base plate, a ball-retaining member hinged en said slide and adaptedto engage the top of a hall when the latter' is engaged with the slide,an arm on said ball-retaining member, a trigger connected to said armtor moving said mem* bei' into engagement with the ball while the slideis moved rearwardly, and resilient means connected to said arm and tothe slide lfor automatically moving said retaining means away trom theball when the slide is released.

l'n a ball projector, the combination with a base plate, oit a sliden'ioiimted thereon, resilient means 'tor moving said slide forwardlyalongv the hase plate., a channeled plate mounted on the slide to form apocket or a hall, a. ball-retaining member hinged on the slide to engagethe top of the ball when arranged in said pocket, the downward movementolf said retaining means he ing limited. by the upper edge olli said hanneled plate, trigger tor moving said retaining member into engagementwith the ball when the slide is moved rearwardly, and means torautomatically moving said member away 'from the ball when the slide isreleased.

6. ln a ball projector, the combination with a base plate, ot slidemoi'lnted thereon, resilient means tor moving said slide forwardly alongthe base plate, a channeled plate mounted on the slide to form a pocketfor a ball, a ball-retaining member hinged. on the slide to engage thetop oi: a ball arranged in said pocket, an arm on said member, a triggerconnected to said arm tor swinging said member into engagement with theball when the slide is moved rearwardly` and a spring connected at oneend to said arm and at the other end to said channeled plate 'Forautomatically moving said member away from the ball when the slide isreleased.

7. ln a ball, projector, the combination with a base plate, of a slidemounted there on, resilient means for moving said slide forwardly alongthe base plate, a ball-retaining member mounted on the slide, means Ytorengz'lging said member with a ball and also moving the slide rearwardly,means tor automatically removing said member trom engagement with theball when the slide is released, and means for moving said sliderearwardly without actuating said ball-rm taining member.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification.

FRANK BLANDO,

